New e-commerce law: "Return Button" becomes mandatory from June 19. What your Shopify or PrestaShop store risks.

The world of e-commerce in Italy and Europe is about to experience an epochal revolution in terms of transparency and consumer protection. As recently highlighted by a detailed article in Il Sole 24 Ore, starting from June 19, a mandatory requirement comes into effect for all B2C online sales platforms: the integration of a digital, immediate, and explicit "withdrawal button".

If you manage an e-commerce store on Shopify or PrestaShop, this is not just a "UX optimization tip," but a binding legal adjustment introduced by Legislative Decree no. 209/2025 (which implements EU Directive 2023/2673 on consumer rights).

Being unprepared for this deadline means exposing your business to very serious economic, operational, and legal risks. Let's see in detail what the regulation consists of and what you concretely risk if you don't act now.

What does the new withdrawal function entail?

The law establishes that consumers must be able to withdraw from distance contracts with the exact same ease with which they made the purchase. It will no longer be legal to hide the return procedure within secondary menus, force customers to send a registered letter or certified email (PEC), or compel them to fill out convoluted forms without immediate feedback.

The new compliance architecture requires three fundamental elements:

1. Immediate Visibility: A clearly labeled function or button (e.g., "Withdraw from contract here" or similar equivalent phrases) accessible without complex intermediate steps.
2. Two-Step Guided Procedure: In the first step, the user enters their data and identifies the order they wish to withdraw from; in the second step, they must confirm their choice via a separate and unequivocal command (e.g., "Confirm withdrawal").
3. Automatic Receipt: The system must instantly generate and send the customer a confirmation of receipt of the request on a durable medium (e.g., email) with the exact date and time.

1. The Operational Risk: Automatic Extension of Withdrawal to 12 Months

This is by far the most underestimated point by merchants, but potentially lethal for cash flows and logistics. Normally, the legal right of withdrawal is 14 days from receipt of the goods.

However, in the absence of updated information and the integrated digital tool on the site starting from June 19, the withdrawal period will automatically extend to 12 months and 14 days.

This means that a customer can purchase a product from your Shopify or PrestaShop store, use it for an entire year, and then request a legitimate full refund, without you being able to object and without the need for intervention from competent authorities. The extension acts as an automatic civil penalty.

2. The Economic Risk: Administrative Sanctions and Unfair Practices

The omission of the digital tool or the use of "dark patterns" (i.e., graphical or structural choices specifically designed to obstruct or hide the withdrawal button) is considered an aggressive and unfair commercial practice under articles 20-27 of the Consumer Code. Competent authorities (such as the AGCM) may apply pecuniary sanctions and hefty fines for non-compliance, seriously compromising the store's reputation and residual value.

Summary table of risks for merchants

How to make your store compliant before June 19

Neither Shopify nor PrestaShop inherently possess a native structure that perfectly meets the strict requirements of Italian law in "double-click" mode with automatic evidential tracking. Modifying the code independently or relying on generic and unverified apps exposes you to the risk of configuring non-compliant paths or structural bugs during checkout.

It is necessary to correctly map the flows, install the appropriate scripts, modify the theme sections, and update the legal information (Terms and Conditions) to ensure maximum protection for your business.